West Bengal: RSS membership rising

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Joint General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said the organisation's membership is rising in West Bengal and predicted the number of its branches in the state would increase from 650 in 2013 to 1,200 next year. An influx of Bangladeshi immigrants has boosted the number of Muslims, who now make up 27% of the population in West Bengal, an interior ministry official said. RSS preacher Ramapada Pal said that everyone must acknowledge "the superiority of the Hindu kingdom" and that "this country belongs to Hindus first".

New Delhi: Modi to meet Netaji’s family today

Family members of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and are expected to seek the declassification of all files related to the freedom fighter, whose mysterious disappearance 70 years ago continues to be a talking point. Bose's grand nephew Chandra Bose has said that his family will appeal to Modi to write to countries such as Russia, Japan, China, USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia to declassify all Netaji files lying with them.

Gujarat: VHP bars non-Hindus from garbas

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Tuesday started putting up banners at the entrances of select garba venues across the state, asking non-Hindus not to participate in the dance programmes as it is restricted "only for Hindus". According to Gujarat VHP leaders, the banners are being put up at over 100 garba venues across Gujarat, which it is hosting during the nine-day festival.

Jammu & Kashmir: Gunfight leaves two civilians injured

Two civilians were injured when a major exchange of fire took place between militants and security agencies on Tuesday afternoon during a search-and-cordon operation in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Preliminary reports suggest two militants opened fire at security forces at Dogripora village in Awantipora, more than 30 km south of Srinagar.

Gujarat: HC orders investigation over minister’s fake MBA

The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to Minister of State Shankar Chaudhari regarding a Public Interest Litigation filed by Patan-based Congress worker Farsu Goklani, alleging that he obtained a fake MBA degree. A division bench of acting Chief Justice Jayant Patel and Justice NV Anjaria sought replies from Chaudhari, the Gujarat government, the Election Commission, Patan district's Superintendent of Police and two educational institutes in question. Goklani demanded that Chaudhari be prosecuted for submitting false details in the poll affidavit.